Ascension of Jesus

Overview

This 30-minute Religious Education session for Year 7-8 students provides a Catholic perspective on the Ascension of Jesus into heaven. It follows the New Zealand Curriculum, focusing on Religious Education learning objectives, integrating key competencies, and teaching critical comprehension skills through Bible reading and discussion.

Curriculum Links

Level: Years 7-8
Learning Area: Religious Education (Catholic perspective)
Key Competencies:

Thinking (interpret and evaluate text and ideas)
Relating to others (discussion and respectful sharing of ideas)
Using language, symbols, and texts (reading and comprehension)
Participating and contributing (asking questions, sharing understanding)

New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) alignment:

Encourage students to explore significant events in Christian traditions, developing understanding of their meaning for believers.
Use texts (including scripture) critically and reflectively, identifying perspectives and summarising ideas.
Develop comprehension skills such as making inferences, summarising, and answering questions .

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

Understand the Catholic belief about the Ascension of Jesus Christ.
Read and comprehend Luke 24:50-53 (Ascension narrative).
Respond to comprehension questions to deepen understanding.
Reflect on the meaning of the Ascension for Catholics today.
Demonstrate empathy and respect for differing views in class discussion.

Resources

Bible (Luke 24:50-53) or printed scripture passage
Whiteboard and markers
Copies of comprehension questions
Paper and pencils for student notes

Lesson Plan

1. Introduction & Activation of Prior Knowledge (5 minutes)

Begin with a brief discussion:
"What do you remember about Jesus after Easter? What happened to him?"
Summarise with the key event: Jesus ascended to heaven, as taught in the Catholic faith.
Explain the focus of today’s lesson: to explore the Ascension of Jesus from the Catholic perspective using the Bible.

2. Bible Reading: Luke 24:50-53 (10 minutes)

Read the passage aloud to the class slowly or have students take turns reading.
Text (Catholic-approved):
“When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”
Highlight key vocabulary and phrases (ascended, blessing, worshipped, heaven). Briefly explain any difficult words.

3. Comprehension Questions & Group Discussion (10 minutes)

Distribute or display these questions:

Where did Jesus go (after Easter)?
What did Jesus do before he was taken up to heaven?
How did the disciples react when Jesus ascended?
Why is the Ascension an important event for Catholics?
How might this event make Christians feel encouraged or hopeful?

Activity:

Students discuss answers in pairs or small groups, then share with the whole class.
Teacher facilitates discussion, modelling respectful listening and encouraging different ideas.

4. Reflection & Meaning (5 minutes)

Ask students to write or share:
"What does Jesus’ Ascension mean for you or for people who believe in it?"
Connect to the idea that the Ascension represents Jesus going to be with God and promises to be present always with his followers (Catholic teaching).
End with a short class prayer or moment of silence reflecting on hope and faith.

Assessment

Teacher monitors participation in discussions for understanding and respect.
Review student answers to comprehension questions for accuracy.
Observe reflection responses to assess personal connection to the topic.

Teacher Tips

Use questioning strategies to check understanding and encourage inference (e.g., Why do you think the disciples had ‘great joy’?).
Support students who may struggle with new vocabulary by linking to prior knowledge or using visuals.
Emphasise the Catholic view during explanations but acknowledge that students may have different beliefs, fostering an inclusive classroom environment.

This plan is constructed to engage Year 7-8 students with scripture while developing literacy and critical thinking skills aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum Religious Education expectations, ensuring meaningful learning about the Ascension from a Catholic perspective .

Teaching Instructions